DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Claims 1 & 5 are amended. Claims 2-4, 6-8, 10, 12, 14, 16 & 18 are canceled. Claims 1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 & 19-20 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 & 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitations "the metal layer" and “the polymer layer” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purposes of examination, the above cited limitations are respectively read as “a metal layer” and “a polymer layer” as this appears to be applicant’s intent.
Claims 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 & 19-20 are rejected as being dependent on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5 & 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu (CN 208433464 U, as cited in the IDS on 11/02/2022).
Regarding claims 1 & 19-20, Yu teaches a lithium ion battery comprising a current collector comprising two units each comprising a polymer layer, a first metal layer (72) disposed on an upper surface of the polymer layer (71) and a second metal layer (73) disposed on a lower surface of the polymer layer; wherein the first metal layer and/or the second metal layer in at least one unit comprises a tab (74) connection region and a non-tab connection region such that a thickness of the tab connection region is greater than that of the non-tab connection region (fig. 23 & see annotated fig. 24 below); and wherein the first metal layer and/or the second metal layer in another unit comprises a metal layer connection region and a non-metal layer connection region such that a thickness of the of the metal layer connection region is greater than that of the non-metal connection region (see annotated fig. 24 below). While Yu does not explicitly teach the battery being a lithium-ion battery, Yu discloses the use of an electrolyte comprising a lithium salt such as LiPF6 dissolved in an organic solvent which is a well-known electrolyte system used in lithium-ion batteries.
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Regarding claim 5, Yu teaches wherein the current collector comprises 2 units, wherein one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer in at least one unit comprises the tab connection region and the non-tab connection region, and the other of the first metal layer and the second metal layer comprises a metal layer connection region and a non-metal layer connection region, wherein a thickness of the metal layer connection region is greater than that of the non-metal layer connection region (see annotated fig. 24 below).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 7, 11, 13 & 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu (CN 208433464 U).
Regarding claims 7, 11, 13 & 15, Yu teaches a thickness of a portion of the metal layer corresponding to the tab connection region (i.e sum of the thickness of first metal layer which is 1 micron in some embodiments and half of the thickness of the polymer layer which is 3 microns in some embodiments such that a total thickness of the tab connection region is 1 micron + (3 microns / 2) = 2.5 microns) is 2.5 times to that of a portion of the metal layer corresponding to the non-tab connection region (i.e thickness of the first metal layer which is 1 micron in some embodiments) (Page 4; and annotated fig. 24 above). Yu also teaches a thickness of a portion of the metal layer corresponding to the metal layer connection region (i.e sum of the thickness of first metal layer which is 1 micron in some embodiments and half of the thickness of the polymer layer which is 3 microns in some embodiments such that a total thickness of the metal layer connection region is 1 micron + (3 microns / 2) = 2.5 microns) is 2.5 times to that of a portion of the metal layer corresponding to the non-metal layer connection region (i.e thickness of the first metal layer which is 1 micron in some embodiments) (Page 4; and annotated fig. 24 above).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu (CN 208433464 U) in view of Kogetsu (US 2012/0088136 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Yu teaches the current collector of claim 1 but is silent as to a welding strength of a tab being greater than or equal to 0.4 N/mm. Kogetsu teaches a current collector having a tab welding strength of 3 N/mm to 50 N/mm ([0040]-[0041] & [0050]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the present invention, to optimize the welding strength of the tab to a range of 3 N/mm to 50 N/mm in view of improving the rigidity and the internal stress generated at the tab which can lead to partial separation or breakage as taught by Kogetsu ([0041]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/13/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to Applicant’s arguments that Yu does not teach the subject matter of claim 1, as presently amended, the examiner respectfully disagrees. Specifically, Applicant argues that Yu does not fairly teach or suggest the claimed tab connection region and non-tab connection as well as the claimed metal layer connection region and the non-metal layer connection region. However, as noted in the above updated rejection of claim 1 which incorporates an annotated version of fig. 24 of Yu, it is clear the claimed tab connection region, non-tab connection, metal layer connection region and non-metal layer connection region with the claimed thickness limitations of claims 1, 7, 11, 13 & 15 are anticipated by Yu. Thus, in view of the foregoing, claims 1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 & 19-20 stand rejected.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL T ZEMUI whose telephone number is (571)272-4894. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm (EST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, BARBARA GILLIAM can be reached at (571)272-1330. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANAEL T ZEMUI/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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